Well, I took my broken dewalt apart just for the heck of it yesterday.
Found 14v at the battery so I think the battery pack is ok. The battery
pack plugs directly into the trigger switch module and there was 14v
going into the switch but only .20v coming out the other side when
triggered. I had first thought the gearbox was locked up on it, but
disassembly reveled that not to be the case. Jumping the battery
directly to the motor makes it work, so I suppose just replacing the
trigger switch assembly would get me back in business.
Naturally they want $40-$50 for a switch assembly, and one of my two 14v
batteries died recently so I need to get a good second one. 14v xrp
dewalt batteries are getting harder and harder to find as the industry
seems to be slowly "standardizing" on the 18v stuff. I personally think
14v is the sweet spot between not enough power and too big and heavy to
use for extended periods. Looks like a 14v battery is going for about
$70... that means I'd be into this set-up ~$120 to get it back to where
it was.
Of course I also own an 18v dewalt trim saw (w/ one 18v battery) which I
really like. Buying a dewalt 18v drill would give me commonality with
the saw (already have the chargers) and add a second 18v battery to the
stable. But the dewalt 18v heavy duty drill/driver is $270 at HD and
about $200+ on eBay. The compact 18v non-heavy-duty (like my current
one, plastic gears) is going for $160 or so "buy it now" on eBay. There
still is the issue of the weight/balance of the 18v stuff for me.
Although being honest, I've never used an 18v in practice, only handled
one in the store.
Yet another option I found on eBay is a dewalt 14v heavy duty with three
batteries for $150 plus shipping. This would give me a new 14v
heavy-duty drill and four batteries in the stable.
The V28 Milwaukee stuff looks nice as well.
http://store.yahoo.com/tylertool/mi07v2828voh.html
Drill plus two batteries and charger for $400 available in April...
hmm... $400... ouch. The technology looks nice and all, but it is still
unproven in actual use over time.... decisions, decisions.
Wayne
|